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NiTED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

, KARL M. STAHL, OF NEWr YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC GAS-PRESSURE REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,838, dated December8, 1896; Application led March 5, 1896. Serial No. 581,920. (No modell)To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, KARL M. STAHL, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Gas PressureRegulators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved gaspressure regulator of thatclass by which fermented and other liquids can be drawn off for useunder uniform pressure of carbonicacid or other gas; and the inventionconsists of an automatic gas-pressu re regulator which comprises a maintube that is inserted into the bung or cork of the vessel containing theliquid to be acted on, a receiverfor the liquid carbonio-acid gas, avalved supply-pipe connecting the receiver with the main tube, a holderfor attaching said tube to the main tube, a stationary sleeve at theinterior of said main tube provided with a radial channel communicatingwith the gas-supply tube and an interior annular groove communicatingwith said channel, a vertically-sliding regulating-tube guided in saidsleeve, closed at its upper end and open at its lower end, said tubebeing provided with an adjustable l collar or stop at its upper end, aslot below said stop, and with a piston at its lower end, and a helicalspring interposed between said piston and the stationary sleeve. Theupper end of the main tube is provided with a detachable plug having anenlarged head for driving the main tube, the removable plug permittingthe detaching of the holder with the receiver from the main tube and thereplacing of the saine thereon, as will be fully described hereinafter,and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a side elevation of myimproved automatic gas-pressure regulator, shown as used in connectionwith a beer-keg. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section,of my-improved gas-pressure regulator drawn on a larger scale; and Fig.3 is a detail horizontal section on line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

' My improved gas-pressure regulator consists of three main parts,namely, a main tube a, with its accessories, a stationary sleeve c insaid main tube, a spring-actuated regulating-tube c, guided in the same,a receiver q for the liquid carbonio-acid gas, and a valved supply-pipep, connecting the receiver with the main tube. The main tube a is madeof brass, galvanized iron, or other suitable metal, the lower part ofwhich is preferably reduced in diameter, so that it can easily be driveninto the bung r. A plug b is iitted closely into the upper end of themain tube Co and provided with an enlarged head, so as to permit the useof a mallet for forcing the lower tapering end of the main tube into thebung. The stationary sleeve c is located at the interior of the upperwider part of the main tube a and is made of any suitable metal. Thesleeve c serves to guide the regulating-tube e in its reciprocatingmotion. The regulating-tube e is closed at its upper end and providedbelow the same with an adj ustable collar or stop f, secured to the tubee by a set-screw f. Below the collar a slot d is arranged, whichcommunicates with the interior of the regulating-tube e.

To the lower end of the tube e is attached a piston g, between which andthe stationary sleeve cis interposed a helical spring h of considerablestrength which exerts its pressure on the upper end of the piston, so asto keep the regulating-tube in its lowerinost position,with the collar0r rin g f abutting against the upper end of the stationary sleeve c.

The threaded end of the valved supply-pipe p is screwed into aninteriorly-threaded socket la of a holder la, which is provided with asleeve c', which is iitted closely to the upper part of the main tube ceand which is firmly retained thereon by means of a set-screw c" or othersuitable fastening device. The supply-pipe p has a cock or valve o, uponopening which gas is permitted to pass from the receiver q through abore of the holder 7c to the interior of the stationary sleeve c andfrom the same to the main tube a.

When it is desired to charge the receiver q, the sleeve i of the holderla is disconnected from the main tube a by loosening the setscrew i'.The plug b is then removed and the receiver q, with the holder lo andsleeve c', detached from the main tube a. The holder k is then unscrewedfrom the supply-pipe p and the receiver q charged with liquid car- IOObonic-acid or other under pressure, after which the cock is closed andthe socket 7o of the holder k screwed up again on the end of thesupply-pipe p. The sleeve e', with the receiver q, is then replaced onthe main tubeI u, clamped by the screw z" in` position thereon, and theplug b replaced in position at the upper end of the main tube ce. Themain tube is provided with an opening a, which registers with an openingc in the sleeve c and with the bore of the supply-pipe p, theregistering of said bore with the holes being brought about by suitablemarks on the upper edge of the ring t' and on the main tube a. The holec in the stationary sleeve communicates with an interior annular grooveor channel c2, which is shown in Fig. 3, and by which the gas underpressure is supplied to the slot d in the regulating-tube e as soon asthe stop-cock 0 is opened. To produce the gas-tight connection betweenthe supply-pipe p and the screw-socket 7c of the holder 7c, a rubbergasket is inserted between the end 'of the supply-pipe and the socket.By tightly drawing the set-screw i', which is located at a pointdiametrically opposite to the registering openings in the holder, maintube, and sleeve, a tight connection between the sleeve t' and the maintube is obtained, which can, however, if required, be tightened in astill more reliable manner by suitable packingrings interposed betweenthe sleeve t' and main tube ct.

rl`he operation of my improved gas-pressure regulator is as follows: Themain tube ct is driven into the bung of the keg or other vessel thecontents of which are to be drawn off. The plug b is then removed andthe holder 7c of the receiver q placed in position on the main tube sothat the interior bore of the holder 7c registers with the openings a ofthe main tube ct and c of the stationary sleeve c. This is easilyaccomplished by the settingmarks on the sleeved and main tube Ct'. Thereceiver q can also first be attached to the main tube and the latterthen forced into the bung r. The stop-cock 0 is then opened so that acertain quantity of gas is supplied through the tube a, holder k,openings a c', annular channel c2, and slot d of the regulating-tube eto the interior of the main tube and to the interior of the keg or othervessel. The pressure which is produced by the entering of gas into thevessel acts on the lower end of the piston and lifts the latter, withthe regulating-tube, against the tension of the spring h until the slotd is placed out of register with the annular channel c2. The supply ofgas to the receiver q is thereby interrupted and the liquid in thevessel kept at a certain pressure. As soon as some of the liquid iswithdrawn the pressure is gradually diminished and the spring h beginsto act on the piston of the regulating-tube until the slot d registersagain with the interior channel c2 and establishes connection with thereceiver, so that a new quantity of gas is expanded into the vessel,which, acting on the lower end of the piston, raises the same and againinterrupts the supply of gas. This alternating play is continued untilthe liquid in the' vessel is entirely drawn off. It is obvious that thepower of the spring h may be set for any amount of pressure, either bychangingv the spring for one of greater or smaller power or by providingmeans for regulating the tension of the spring. The receiver may be also,connected by different means with the main tube and the regulatorvariously modified in minor particulars without departing from thespirit of my invention.

The advantages of my improved gas-pres- 'sure regulator are, rst, thatany vessel containing liquids under pressure can be kept at a suitablepressure without losing any portion of its gas in the same, so that theliquid can be dispensed to the last drop without losing any of the gasoriginally contained in the same; secondly, that the pressure-regulatingdevice can be readily transferred from one vessel to another and usedfor days or weeks until all the liquid carbonic acid in the receiver isused up. This takes considerable length of time, as a comparativelysmall quantity of gas is required only for a keg; thirdly, my improvedgas-pressure regulator enables the retailers to sell fermented liquorsin better and sweeter condition than when they are drawn off withoutpressure of carbonio-acid gas.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. The combination of a main tube provided with astationary interior guide-sleeve, a regulating-tube guided in saidsleeve closed at the upper end, said regulating-tube being provided withan adjustable collar at its upper end, and a slot below said collar, apiston at its lower end of the regulating-tube, a helical springinterposed between the stationary sleeve and the piston, a receivercontaining carbonio acid under pressure, means for supporting saidreceiver on the main tube, and a valved supply-pipe connecting saidreceiver with the main tube, substantially as set fort-h. Y

2. The combination, of a main tube provided with a stationary interiorguide-sleeve, a sliding and spring-actuated regulating-tube closed atits upper end, an adjustable collar at the upper end of theregulating-tube and a slot below said collar, a piston at the lower endof the regulating-tube, a receiver for carbonic-acid gas or other gasunder pressure, a holder applied to the upper end of the main tube andprovided with a bore registering with openings in the main tube andstationary sleeve, and a valved gas-supply tube connecting the receiverwith said holder, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a main tube having a detachable plug at its upperend, a stationary sleeve in the upper part of the main tube,

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a regulating-tube guided in said sleeve, Closed at the upper end andprovided With a collar at its upper end and With a slot beloW saideollar, a piston at the lower end of the regulating-tube, a helicalspring interposed between the stationary sleeve and the piston, a holderprovided with a sleeve, means for attaehing said sleeve to the maintube, a receiver for Carbonio-acid gas under pressure, and a valvedgas-supply pipe connecting the receiver With the holder, said holderhaving a bore connecting the supply-tube With registering openings ofthe main tube and stationary sleeve and With an interior annular channelin said sleeve, substantially as set forth. In testimony that I claimthe foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of twosubscribing` Witnesses.

, KARL M. STAHL. Witnesses PAUL GOEPEL, GEO. W. JAEKEL.

